To this day, the Cardiff Giant is one of the most incredible scientific forgeries in the history of North American archaeology. The stone figure is named after the site where it was discovered in upstate New York. George Hull, an atheist, had become acquainted with the Bible verse Genesis 6:4 at a methodist revival meeting: “There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.” It inspired him to have an oversize stone figure carved that he subsequently buried in the ground on the property of his accomplice William Newell. One year later, they arranged to have a well dug on the site, and during the excavation the giant was “discovered.”

The sensational discovery of the primeval giant was reported on in newspapers all over the country. The strategy was successful, drawing numerous sightseers who were allowed to view the giant for a fee. Although the figure was soon revealed to be a fake, the story of the giant generated its own momentum that even convinced scholars to develop theories about the prehistoric period of the United States based on the hoax.

World-famous video artist Tony Oursler, who was born in New York in 1957, researched the story and its context, and created a multimedia installation with a combination of historical facts and specially made artifacts in a stage-like space reminiscent of theater and vaudeville. The installation transports the audience to a fantastical world full of illusionistic tricks that allow viewers to experience a pleasant shudder, similar to a cabinet of curiosities. We are only too familiar with this combination of historical research, scholarly facts, purposeful deception, and seduction of the masses. Crises of beliefs, fake news, and conspiracy theories are omnipresent, and the role of (social) media is an important factor for the success of fraudulent activity. By appropriating the Cardiff Giant, Oursler creates an entertaining and abysmal parable of double standards and the loss of trust in the great Western narrative of science and progress. 

Curated by Lynn Kost